Investigators undertook a systems-level analysis to determine the factors influencing the onset and course of care for facial cellulitis of odontogenic origin among pediatric patients.
Although the rate of pediatric ED visits for nontraumatic dental conditions has decreased in recent years, they remain disproportionately high compared with ED visits for other medical issues—particularly among children without a dental home or those with special health care needs.
In a study, the investigators analyzed the electronic health records of 201 pediatric patients with a mean age (standard deviation) of 7.5 (4.1) years who were diagnosed with facial cellulitis of odontogenic origin following a visit to a pediatric hospital dental clinic.
The investigators found that 73.1% of the facial cellulitis of odontogenic origin cases were resultant from dental caries, whereas 22% of them were caused by failed dental restorative procedures. The remaining nearly 5% of the cases were related to either oral pathology (2.9%) or dental trauma (2%). The patients with the greatest risk of receiving more intensive treatment for facial cellulitis of odontogenic origin included those who didn’t have a history of an initial dental visit, those without an established dental home, those who were younger, and those with specific health care needs. For instance, patients without a dental home were more likely to seek care at an emergency department or urgent care clinic for facial cellulitis of odontogenic origin and have untreated caries as opposed to other contributors of the condition.
The findings indicated the critical need to establish a dental home among patients. When patients visit hospitals for the condition, the investigators emphasized the benefit of interdisciplinary communication between health and dental care providers.
The authors declared having no competing interests.
Source: JADA
